2023 U.S. Trials: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2023 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 27 – July 1, 2023
• Indianapolis, IN
• Indiana University Natatorium
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet (updated version, 6/26)
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• How To Watch
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Live Recap
• Day 5 Finals Preview

Saturday Finals Heat Sheet

A whirlwind of a week in Indianapolis comes to a thrilling conclusion on Saturday night with five events on tap for the fifth and final session of the U.S. National Championships.

World record holder Katie Ledecky kicks off the evening in the women’s 1500 freestyle before Kate Douglass takes aim at her former Virginia teammate Alex Walsh‘s U.S. Open record in the women’s 200 IM (2:07.84), which she was less than a half second shy of during prelims (2:08.29). It’s a repeat of the NCAA Championships final from a few months prior as Walsh (2:11.02) and Torri Huske (2:12.23) figure to duke it out for second place along with Leah Hayes (2:12.32).

Shaine Casas, the top seed entering the meet in the men’s 200 IM, barely snuck into the A-final this morning as the eighth qualifier (1:59.60) and must outduel the likes of Carson Foster (1:58.56), Will Licon (1:59.08), and Destin Lasco (1:59.12) for a spot on the U.S.’s World Championships roster headed to Fukuoka later this month.

Douglass is taking on a 200 IM/50 free double tonight, the latter of which sees her seeded third behind fellow Cavalier Gretchen Walsh (24.53) and Abbey Weitzeil (24.24).

In the men’s 50 free, reigning Worlds silver medalist Michael Andrew needs a top-two finish in order to clinch a Worlds spot this year (though there are still other ways he could make the team). The 23-year-old sprint specialist qualified third this morning with a 21.87 behind 100 free champion Jack Alexy (21.83) and Ryan Held (21.65). Held finished 5th in the 100 free back on Tuesday to potentially qualify as a relay swimmer, but a top-two finish tonight in the 50 could secure his spot.

Stay tuned for live updates below:

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
• American Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
• U.S. Open Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
• Championship Record: 15:38.99, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2022
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 16:29.57
• 2022 U.S. Trials Top 2 Time: 15:51.36
• 2022 Worlds Medal Time: 15:48.96

Top 8:

1. Katie Ledecky – 15:29.64
2. Katie Grimes – 15:58.34
3. Kensey McMahon – 16:07.78
4. Erica Sullivan – 16:16.94
5. Jillian Cox – 16:18.40
6. Mariah Denigan – 16:19.02
7. Paige McKenna – 16:20.66
8. Claire Weinstein – 16:21.64

Katie Ledecky collected her third national title of the week in epic fashion, dipping under 15:30 for the first time since March of 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Her winning time of 15:29.64 is the sixth-fastest time ever recorded (all have been clocked by Ledecky), just about nine seconds off her own world record.

The 26-year-old Ledecky reached the wall nearly 29 seconds ahead of runner-up finisher Katie Grimes, who posted a 15:58.34 as the only other swimmer in the field under 16 minutes. The 17-year-old Sandpipers of Nevada standout was about 13 seconds off her best time of 15:44.89 that earned her silver at last year’s World Championships behind Ledecky (15:30.15).

Third-place finisher Kensey McMahon established a new lifetime best with her time of 16:07.78, shaving two seconds off her previous-best 16:09.80 from the 2019 U.S. National Championships. The Alabama graduate recently capped off her collegiate career with victories in both the 500-yard free and 1650-yard free at the NCAA Championships a few months ago.

WOMEN’S 200 IM — FINAL

• World Record: 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2015
• American Record: 2:06.15, Ariana Kukors – 2009
• U.S. Open Record: 2:07.84, Alex Walsh (USA) – 2022
• Championship Record: 2:07.84, Alex Walsh (USA) – 2022
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 2:12.98
• 2022 U.S. Trials Top 2 Time: 2:09.99
• 2022 Worlds Medal Time: 2:08.91

Top 8:

1. Kate Douglass – 2:07.09
2. Alex Walsh – 2:07.89
3. Torri Huske – 2:09.75
4. Leah Hayes – 2:10.42
5. Bella Sims – 2:12.15
6. Phoebe Bacon – 2:12.27
7. Abby Harter – 2:12.70
8. Beata Nelson – 2:13.62

It felt like we were going to see a U.S. Open record fall in this event after Kate Douglass blazed a personal-best 2:08.29 in prelims, and the 21-year-old Virginia graduate defied the SwimSwam photo curse to take down Alex Walsh‘s previous mark from last year’s meet.

Douglass touched first in 2:07.09, becoming the second-fastest American ever and the second-fastest in the world this season behind Summer McIntosh (world-junior-record 2:06.89). Walsh, the 400 IM champion, did her best to hold off Douglass and ended up just .05 seconds off her personal-best 2:07.84 from last year’s International Team Trials, which stood as the U.S. Open record until tonight.

Rising Stanford junior Torri Huske also put up an impressive performance with a personal-best 2:09.75, dipping under 2:10 for the first time. Her previous best stood at 2:10.38 from the 2021 Olympic Trials.

Last year’s second-place finisher, Leah Hayes, placed fourth in 2:10.42, about half a second behind her time from the 2022 International Team Trials. Her lifetime best is a 2:08.91, which earned her bronze at last year’s World Championships.

MEN’S 200 IM — FINAL

• World Record: 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (USA) – 2011
• American Record: 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte – 2011
• U.S. Open Record: 1:54.56, Ryan Lochte – 2009
• Championship Record: 1:54.56, Ryan Lochte – 2009
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:59.53
• 2022 U.S. Trials Top 2 Time: 1:56.65
• 2022 Worlds Medal Time: 1:56.22

Top 8:

1. Carson Foster – 1:56.19
2. Shaine Casas – 1:57.47
3. Trenton Julian – 1:57.94
4. Destin Lasco – 1:57.97
5. Kieran Smith – 1:57.99
6. Maximus Williamson – 1:58.65
7. Will Licon – 1:59.37
8. Arsenio Bustos – DQ

World Championships silver medalist Carson Foster cruised to the 200 IM victory in 1:56.19, within half a second of his best time (1:55.71) from Budapest last summer, but the most compelling story in this race was the battle for second place.

23-year-old Shaine Casas had struggled earlier this week, placing 3rd in the 100 fly (51.42), 5th in the 50 back (24.70), and failing to make the A-final in the 200 back (1:58.65) or 100 free (48.94). But he snuck into this A-final tonight as the eighth qualifier and pulled off an impressive swim from lane one to punch his ticket to Fukuoka later this month.

Casas had close competition for the second Worlds qualifying spot as Trenton Julian (1:57.94), Destin Lasco (1:57.97), and Kieran Smith (1:57.99) were all under 1:58. Julian dropped a few tenths off his previous-best 1:58.30 from last year’s Trials, while Lasco similarly improved by nearly half a second upon his previous-best 1:58.42 from last year’s Trials.

Sixth-place finisher Maximus Williamson, 16, reset his own national age group (NAG) record with a 1:58.65, downing his previous mark of 1:59.01 from Junior Pan Pacs last summer.

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang – 2009
• American Record: 7:39.36, Bobby Finke – 2022
• U.S. Open Record: 7:43.32, Bobby Finke – 2022
• Championship Record: 7:43.32, Bobby Finke – 2022
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 7:53.11
• 2022 U.S. Trials Top 2 Time: 7:50.07
• 2022 worlds Medal Time: 7:40.05

Top 8:

1. Bobby Finke – 7:40.34
2. Ross Dant – 7:48.10
3. Will Gallant – 7:50.75
4. Charlie Clark – 7:51.65
5. David Johnston – 7:51.70
6. James Plage – 7:56.36
7. Alec Enyeart – 7:58.14
8. Nick Caruso – 7:58.80

The second U.S. Open record to be broken this evening fell at the hands of Bobby Finke, who lowered his previous standard from last year by nearly three full seconds. The 23-year-old Olympic champion was within a second off his personal-best 7:39.36 from last year’s World Championships, where he won gold.

Finke touched nearly eight seconds ahead of Ross Dant, who snagged the second qualifying spot with a personal-best 7:48.10. He shaved more than two seconds off his lifetime best of 7:50.66 from the 2021 Olympic Trials, where he placed third less than a second behind Michael Brinegar.

Will Gallant (7:50.75), Charlie Clark (7:51.65), and David Johnston (7:51.70) were separated by less than a second in the battle for third place.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE — FINAL

• World Record: 23.67, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2017
• American Record: 23.97, Simone Manuel – 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 24.08, Pernille Blume (DEN) – 2019
• Championship Record: 24.10, Simone Manuel – 2018
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 25.04
• 2022 U.S. Trials Top 2 Time: 24.52
• 2022 Worlds Medal Time: 24.38

Top 8:

1. Abbey Weitzeil – 24.00
2. Gretchen Walsh – 24.31
3. Tie: Kate Douglass – 24.48 / Olivia Smoliga – 24.48
4. –
5. Torri Huske – 24.72
6. Catie Deloof – 24.73
7. Gabi Albiero – 24.76
8. Erika Brown – 25.02

Abbey Weitzeil threw down a personal-best 24.00 to dominate this splash and dash, lowering the U.S. Open record of 24.08 set by Denmark’s Pernille Blume in 2019. Weitzeil dropped a couple tenths off her previous-best 24.19 from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, and she said her goal is to get into the 23-second range later this month in Fukuoka. She now owns the second-fastest time in the world this season behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.

Gretchen Walsh also notched a new lifetime best with her runner-up finish in 24.31. Her previous best was a 24.47 from last July.

Kate Douglass, competing on the back end of a 200 IM/50 free double that saw her break the U.S. Open record in the former event, came up short of her personal-best 24.40 from May’s Atlanta Classic but still tied for the final spot on the podium with Olivia Smoliga in 24.48. Smoliga shaved a couple tenths off her best time from the 2021 Olympic Trials.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE — FINAL

• World Record: 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA) – 2009
• American Record: 21.04, Caeleb Dressel – 2019/2021
• U.S. Open Record: 21.04, Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 2021
• Championship Record: 21.29, Caeleb Dressel – 2022
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 22.12
• 2022 U.S. Trials Top 2 Time: 21.45
• 2022 Worlds Medal Time: 21.57

Top 8:

1. Ryan Held – 21.50
2. Jack Alexy – 21.63
3. Michael Andrew – 21.64
4. Matt King – 21.80
5. Jonny Kulow – 21.87
6. David Curtiss – 21.89
7. Chris Giuliano – 21.96
8. Drew Kibler – 22.12

Ryan Held (21.50) and Jack Alexy (21.63) both posted personal-best times to deny World Championships silver medalist Michael Andrew (21.64) a spot in Fukuoka this year by the slimmest of margins.

Held dropped .12 seconds off his previous-best 21.62 from April of 2021. Alexy, the 100 free champion, had never been sub-22 before today, when he went 21.83 in prelims.

Andrew’s best time is a 21.41 from last year’s World Championships, which earned him silver. Earlier this week, he won the 50 fly (23.11) and placed second in the 50 breast (26.87). Non-Olympic events such as the stroke 50s are assigned lowest priority for Worlds selection by USA Swimming.